Chef DE Cuisine [2 Positions]

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

Housing & Food Services has an outstanding opportunity for a Chef de Cuisine* to join their team to manage the day-to-day culinary operations and is responsible for culinary performance and leadership of staff of assigned unit.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership

Develops and maintains positive and professional relationships with students. Provides outstanding customer service and ensures specialty diets and other nutritional needs are met.
Develops and maintains positive and professional relationships with guests and department colleagues.
Develops and maintains positive and professional relationships with culinary and front-line service staff through two-way communication, timely feedback, collaboration and consistent visibility in the kitchens and work units.
Leads weekly culinary planning and/or production meetings, tastings, and other meetings with staff.
Monitors performance in unit safety, cash handling, customer service and food safety as assigned.
Identifies and utilizes multiple venues for soliciting customer feedback and responding to complaints, questions, and special requests.
Consults appropriately with HFS Human Resources to ensure that UW, HFS and bargaining unit policies, guidelines are followed in administering progressive, corrective action principles and union contracts are followed in addressing employee performance problems.
Demonstrates effective presentation skills that exhibit preparation, research and delivery are scaled for small, large, and diverse groups.

Operations and Customer Service

Directs staff on dining operation policies and procedures.
Maintains proper controls over resources, including cash, inventory, and labor.
Manages the inventory from ordering to utilization, including purchasing, receipt, storage, payment processing, distribution, production, and sale.
Monitors attendance and adjusts staffing to meet daily production needs.
Establishes and ensures that inventory par levels are maintained to minimize waste; manages the documentation and disposal of waste.
Ensures that displays, freezers and prep and storage areas are in clean and orderly condition and meets health department standards.
Identifies and corrects unsafe conditions, such as, poor equipment or work habits that might lead to an accident.
Utilizes the Online Accident Reporting System (OARS) for every work accident and injury, notifies appropriate authorities and personnel.
Works with students and student groups in planning special events.

Fiscal Management

Monitors performance of products, services and programs and collaborates with vendors to make adjustments as necessary to meet established sales and service goals.
Contributes to the units business plan and budget in collaboration with Food Services leadership.
Monitors and reviews reports, including financial statements, production records, staffing schedules and inquiries from the HFS Financial team.
Identifies probable causes for budget variances or financial discrepancies and contributes to implementation of corrective action.
Ensures appropriate controls on resources, including separation of controls between purchasing, receiving, and counting inventory.

Culinary Focus and Results

Develops menus, product consistency, and costs out recipes in collaboration with the campus executive chef and the Administrator.
Collaborates with the executive chef, onsite management team and Dining Administrator in the development of menus and services.
Trains staff in food preparation, production, and display.
Designs and implements quality control measures to ensure consistent taste, presentation, and food safety.
Ensures displays and presentations of prepared food, deli items, meat and seafood are attractive and designed to encourage sales, including appropriate labels and signage.
Monitors performance indicators for production, quality, and service. Intervenes when necessary to ensure goals are met.
Develops and implements new concepts and products that align with customer needs, as well as the promotion of campus and HFS activities and events.
Keeps current with dining trends and communicates new ideas to the leadership team.
Provides product information for newsletters, promotions, and customer inquiries through the Communication & Marketing department.

Supervision

Interviews and selects staff, and ensures staff are on-boarded at the work unit and attend required HFS and UW-required training.
Supervises the work completed by direct reports, ensuring appropriate productivity, quality, customer service and adherence to UW and departmental policies and procedures.
Provides guidance to direct reports on requirements and/or opportunities for learning and professional development.
Engages when necessary in performance management of employees within the organization.
Prepares and conducts ongoing and timely performance appraisals for all employees, providing proper performance-based feedback.
Position must supervise at least 2 FTE to maintain this professional staff exemption and compensation. Typically, this position supervises the units culinary staff.

CBORD

Under the general direction of the Campus Executive Chef, supports the recipe input and validation process for CBORD FSS. This may include drafting recipes following established format and process, answering clarifying questions for Dining Systems team, and performing or facilitating production testing for accuracy.
Supports the recipe input and validation process for CBORD FSS. Writes recipes for input following established process, answers clarifying questions for Dining Systems team, and performs or facilitates production testing for accuracy.
Performs periodic reviews of system data and reports related to recipe costing and production methods to inform decisions related to menu, recipe, and pricing changes. Works with Dining Systems team to make updates to system data.
Reviews current system data and reports to inform decisions on vendor and product selection.
Runs and/or reviews system reports to analyze KPIs related to recipe costing, menu mix, and operational compliance with recipe specifications and/or established purchasing practices.

IMPACT TO THE UNIVERSITY

The dining facility provides a high-quality dining experience for the residential students and greater campus communities.

POSITION COMPLEXITIES

Maintains a regular, full-time onsite work presence.
In support of business operations, travels to different venues / sites on the Seattle Campus.
Adapts to a variety of working conditions and venues:

oUses a variety of tools and work methods since menus, equipment and staffing differ depending on the location, including operating equipment and lifting of up to 25 pounds.
oMaintains a daily presence in the office to perform administrative work, meet with employees, and to address any operational issues that arise in the front or back of the house.
oMaintains a daily presence in the production and service areas to provide training, test recipes, observe and interrupt unsafe food and occupational health practices.
oDaily use of a computer workstation or laptop to review/approve transactions, correspond via email, and participate in virtual meetings and training.

Complies with essential staff designation that requires onsite presence during inclement weather and suspended operations to ensure consistent food service to our residents.
Participates in special events that occur during events and weekends to support the Department and the University.

REPORTS TO

Residential Dining General Manager

*NOTE: Chef de Cuisine positions are located at
-Local Point
-Center Table

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Bachelors degree in hospitality or related.

Experience and references must demonstrate:

Two years of sous chef-level management experience in culinary operations.
Leadership experience working within a high-volume seated restaurant, hotel, or university dining venue.
Effective execution of cook-to order menu items in a restaurant setting.
Effective expediting on the kitchen and service sides of a restaurant.
Depth and breadth in concept development, kitchen management, food and labor cost controls, and plating and presentation.
Effective training and leadership of staff.
Depth and breadth in concept development, kitchen management, food and labor cost controls, and plating and presentation.
Effective interpersonal, organizational, analytical, communication and critical thinking skills.
Effective supervision of staff, including training, giving constructive feedback, and addressing performance through progressive, corrective action.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office (such as, Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Project).
Possession of a valid Washington Drivers License to drive UW vehicles.

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Success working in a contemporary college/university dining environment.
Certification by a recognized culinary institution

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

A satisfactory outcome from the employment reference check processes and education verification.
Possession of a Washington State Food Handlers Card.
ServSafe certification within three months of hire and maintenance of certification thereafter.
Maintenance of a valid Washington State Drivers License to drive UW vehicles.

Application Process:

The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select Apply to this position. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your My Jobs page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.